In the ongoing fourth IPA Pickleball Nationals at the Bennett University, Maharashtra’s Priyanka Mehta clinched the 35+ Women’s Singles title, reported Times Now.
Priyanka Mehta is a chartered accountant by profession and was a junior tennis player. Despite staying away from the sport for almost 20 years and returning to the field a couple of years back, she managed to make a smooth transition to pickleball.
“Yes I do (have a tennis background). I was a junior player but I stopped playing for a good 20 years. After a couple of years ago, like 2-3 years ago, I took up playing tennis again. So that was a good 20 years later and I was number 1 in 35 and 40 plus in tennis,” Times Now quoted Priyanka as saying to Picklenall Now.
“It’s been very smooth (transition) because as a tennis player, I have the upper edge with my drives and slowing down the game in doubles, mixed doubles obviously takes a lot of still work but I am getting better each tournament.”
Recently, Priyanka clinched four titles at the PWR DUPR India Masters, which took place in October 2024 in Delhi.
Priyanka achieved the victory bracing the Delhi’s cold weather. She said, “It’s been amazing (experience), very cold weather, so I am coping with the wind and the cold. But it has been a fantastic experience, love the venue, the infrastructure, love the courts, the feel of the courts, so its been great so far.”
Across the globe, pickleball is gaining some momentum, as many are taking up the sport. Priyanka opined that pickleball’s popularity would continue to rise in India.
She concluded, “Right now, it’s booming and I hope it continues to do so. So, I feel younger by the year and I’m sure I would love to play for as long as I can.”
